The State of the Union is a new paper by renowned historian Professor Arthur Aughey, of Ulster University, in which he says by any comparative international standards, the Union has proved both successful and durable as an arrangement of state. When placed in the broadest international context, the United Kingdom can sometimes look like an oddity. But the Union on which it is predicated is a remarkably enduring constitutional arrangement and a surprisingly cohesive national state.

The report calls for a confident approach to the politics of the Union and recommends a Charter of the Union to reinforce the relationship between the UK’s nations.

Professor Aughey said:

“One of the strengths of the Union is that it defies easy categorisation as an arrangement of sate. It marries overall unity with a recognition of diversity, making it well-equipped for a modern liberal democratic society.”